You will be assessing your own personal conflict style and considering the situations in which the style might be helpful, and when it might be less than optimal-or even dysfunctional. Begin by logging on to the website below and completing the Conflict-Management Style Survey. Be sure to read the accompanying material that follows the survey.
Required Reading
The Leadership Center At Washington State University. (n.d.) Conflict-Management Style.http://www.afc-ispi.org/Repository/Conflict-Management%20survey.pdf
(Note that you need to have Acrobat Reader to be able to "read" this document. Acrobat Reader is available for free download from www.Adobe.com.)
Assignment
When you are done, compose a 2- to 3-page essay that addresses the following questions:
• What is your primary conflict management style? What is your least preferred style?
• In what types of conflict is your primary style likely to be appropriate? In what types of conflict situations is it likely to be dysfunctional? Explain why.
• What types of conflict situations are best handled by your lesser preferred styles?
• What steps can you take to increase your use of your lesser preferred styles in situations where they would be most beneficial, and decrease the use of preferred styles when they are likely to be dysfunctional?